Welcome to the next in a series celebrating female colleagues who engage with theatre as critics, reviewers, bloggers or content creators. I am using ‘theatre’ to encompass all live arts performances, and ‘reviewer’ to cover all those who add commentary on what they see.
The master list is at: https://loureviews.blog/spotlight-on-female-theatre-reviewers-bloggers-critics-and-content-creators/
If you would like to be profiled as part of this project, please get in touch.
Today, it’s the turn of Nilgün Yusuf, Senior Reviewer, London Pub Theatre Magazine; and Reviewer, The Reviews Hub.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how you came to be writing or creating content about theatre?
After graduating with a Creative Writing degree from Birkbeck in my fifties, theatre reviewing gave me the opportunity to combine a reignited passion for theatre with my journalistic skills, which I’d honed over thirty years of writing for national newspapers and magazines (Sunday Times, Daily Telegraph, ELLE magazine).
If you have your own platform, when did it start and how did you come up with the name? If you write for one or many platforms, which was the first and how did you become involved with it?
Somebody Jones, the dramaturg for my first play, NINE MOONS, suggested reviewing to me. It was a very good suggestion! For anyone who wishes to immerse themselves in this world, it’s a great way to support artists and the fringe theatre sector.
My first review was for Annie Kerridge’s Red Hot Pokers* in August 2022 at the Hen & Chickens as part of the Camden Fringe. When I started, I knew no one in the theatre and very little about the medium, so it’s been a wonderful way to connect with others and learn.
What kind of shows do you cover, and in which geographical areas?
I cover theatre across London, although I occasionally travel out of London to the Brighton Fringe, for instance.
How would you describe yourself (reviewer, critic, content creator, YouTuber, influencer, other)?
I would describe myself as a writer and playwright who also reviews.
Why do you continue to engage with theatre?
Theatre is so broad, diverse and imaginative. There’s so much talent, so many voices, approaches and forms of expression—it’s a boundless arena of creativity.
While the work reviewers see can be variable, you always hope to be moved, entertained, excited, shocked, surprised or mesmerised.
I come from a working-class background, and although exposed to theatre and plays through school, I didn’t consider theatre to be part of my world.
So, it’s been a pleasure to rediscover and participate as both a practitioner and a critic/ reviewer.
What’s the one thing that would make the theatre reviewing/content creating space easier for you personally, and/or for your platform?
One thing that would make my life easier would be for small companies to ensure reviewers have all the necessary information about a production before the show!
So I don’t have to spend time hunting for information, including credits across social media when attempting to write a review. It happens!
Do you have a favourite show – and any you particularly dislike(d)?
I look favourably on work that is bold, experimental and committed, but I also enjoy classic theatre that has been reinterpreted or revised.
It takes lots of guts, hard work, and resourcefulness to make theatre happen, and fringe theatre makers often perform miracles with tiny or non-existent budgets.
If I dislike a show, I always try to be constructive, not cutting. It’s all so subjective anyway. I might respond poorly to something that others will love, and vice versa.
The theatre commentary space is wide and diverse – is there any other female reviewer/content creator you would recommend, and why?
Annie Power is a producer and reviews for London Pub Theatres. Susan Elkin is a veteran reviewer who writes for the same platforms as me and has her own website/blog.
What’s the biggest change you have noticed in the theatre space since you started contributing to it?
In the short time I’ve been reviewing – since August 2022 – I’ve noticed an explosion in fringe festivals in London that offer ever more opportunities for makers to share their work with audiences.
And which social networks are you most active on? If you are not on any, what is your opinion of their place in theatre reviewing/content creation?
Both London Pub Theatres and The Reviews Hub share my reviews across social media, including X and Instagram.
Can you pinpoint one of your best reviews, features, or videos?
I wrote a feature called Gone but Not Forgotten: Loved and Lost London Pub Theatres, which is still available to read online. I can’t pinpoint any single review, but I like the ones where seeing a piece of work helped me figure something out or where I’ve witnessed something new and exciting. Here are two from each platform:
- COLONIAL CIRCUS review at Rosemary Branch Theatre, 19 – 23 Nov, 2025, London Pub Theatres
- RUN SISTER RUN by Chloe Moss at the Arcola, 2 – 26 July, 2025, London Pub Theatres
- HEART WALL, The Reviews Hub, 15 April 2026
- IRON FANTASY, The Reviews Hub, 13 March 2026
How can people contact you who want to promote a show?
I’m not an independent reviewer but part of a team that reviews theatre for London Pub Theatre Magazine and The Reviews Hub so I can’t be ‘requested’ individually to review.
It’s best to familiarise oneself with the requirements of the individual platforms and submit requests well in advance—not three days before the show starts, as all reviewers will likely be booked by then. Find me at nilgin@nilginyusuf.com
Thanks, Nilgün